Burning in my soul
by passmetheteaplease
Summary: Today was no ordinary day for SpongeBob Squarepants.
1. Chapter 1

"Goooooooooood morning world and all who inhabit it!" SpongeBob shouted cheerfully, jumping out of bed and letting the blanket land perfectly back in place. He danced through the hallway with cheer before tripping over one of Gary's toys and falling down the stairs with a loud, "GAH OOH AH GAH!" then landing gracefully into a tangled pretzel on the floor. "Ow... Gary you really need to start cleaning up after yourself."

A gurgled "MRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOW" came from the kitchen as SpongeBob's pet snail emerged, followed by, "Maybe if you gave me some damn food I would help with the chores, but you locked the fucking chip cabinet and slept in again you motherfucker."

Spongebob gasped in horror at what Gary had said. "Oh jeez Gary, you're right! Just look at the time, I did sleep in!"

"Bitch did you not understand that you haven't fed me in three days?" Gary crawled his way to SpongeBob's foot and began to bump into it again and again, hitting his kneecap with his eyes.

"You are right GareBear, I've been planning this so long, and I'm no chicken! I'm a sponge! I have to speak up for myself and be assertive! Thanks for the amazing pep talk; I can always count on you! Gotta go now, call me if you need me, there's chips in the cabinet!" Spongebob giggled as he ran, skipping outside and closing the door in a few gleeful motions.

"FEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEED MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!"

He continued to frolic across his yard, making an abrupt stop in front of Squidward's door. 'Deep breaths...' SpongeBob thought to himself, doing the yoga exercises Patrick had taught him. This wasn't what he did every Sunday, his one day off of the week, usually he would be over at Sandy's house, or jelly fishing with Patrick, sometimes even going out shopping with Pearl and her gal pals.

Today was special, and would be the day that changed SpongeBob's life for the EVEN BETTER.

He was going to confess his love to Squidward.

Many months ago he had decided 'today is the day; I'm finally going to tell him!' but simply resolved to hiding in Squidward's house while he was in the bubble bath for a surprise sleepover. Last week was when he told himself that enough was enough; he had to tell Squidward about his undying endearment with the squid and his beautiful tentacles.

Raising a shaky fist to the door SpongeBob continued to take deep breaths. "Come on, you is a sponge... You can do this. You can do this!" He began to bang his fist violently, before remembering there was a doorbell right next to it. "Ooh a doorbell!" With another hand he began to press the doorbell, simultaneously hitting the door with a surprisingly strong punch.

"Whoever it is – go away SpongeBob – I'll be there in a second, don't break my doorbell!" An obviously annoyed yell came from inside the monument (from SpongeBob's experience in this he could tell Squidward was walking down the stairs).

"Oh no, I must have caught him in a bad mood... Tartar sauce. Well no backing out now, I've come too far!" He muttered to himself, and wrung his hands anxiously.

The door creaked open eerily, yanking Spongebob from his racing thoughts, and causing him to gasp at the view. Squidward got new night clothes! And they were blue! Which is a primary color, just like yellow! He let a dreamy sigh slip from his mouth and a crimson blush brighter than Larry's shell came to his face. "Oh, uh, hey there Squidward, didn't expect to see you in these parts. Hahaha..."

"I live here." Squidward spat out, looking the other up and down with a venomous look in the eyes. "And right now, I should be asking you why you're here. At five in the morning. Or I could ask why you aren't wearing clothes. Maybe, while I'm at it – why did you crush my dreams and move into this town with that rancid pineapple?"

'Wow he is REALLY in a bad mood today.' SpongeBob giggled awkwardly and rubbed at the back of his neck. 'I guess that means I have to try even harder to woo him!' "Well ya see Squidward dear, I can explain all of that, but I came here to tell you something that is really important and I have to do it as soon as possible!"

"Fine, I've given up trying to stop you at this point. But first-" Squidward stopped midsentence and unbuttoned his shirt, pushing it into SpongeBob's hands. "Put this on, you're out in cold water in the middle of Winter, and I don't want to have to deal with you having a flu all over again."

His blush deepened as he slipped the shirt on, wondering if he could nuzzle his face in the soft fabric without freaking the other out or scaring him away. Better not, at least for now. "Thanks Squidward, that's really kind of you. You are such a nice person... ("No I'm not.") Which brings me to what I have to say. So..." He laughed again.

"Ever since that pineapple fell from the sky and I moved in next door, I wanted to be friends with you. We've had a great time for many, many, years, and I want this to continue until the day I die." He raised his gaze up to Squidward's, nervously noting the pained look in his eyes. "But sometimes I wonder... What would happen if we were to be more than friends?

Now before you say anything, I did a lot of research online and it is technically possible for squids and sponges to reproduce. There are also a few online support groups that you could check out if you even needed one! I went on yahoo ask and seven of the eight users who answered said that it is definitely socially acceptable, while the eight just answered, 'no homo lolololol'. We're supposed to be together 5 ever! My heart burns like fire coral for you, and only you! I've been drawing fan art of us for years, some nights I can't even sleep, thinking about you being so close, yet so far. I can tell that we both care for each other, but are obviously ukes so I had to take charge and confess of course. Later on though I think that you'll come out of your shell and learn to love the idea of being the dominant seme of the relationship.

We could fulfill all of the fantasies I have written about in my stories, you're my senpai, the father to my unborn and possibly asexually produced babies! I have a book of-"

"Spongebob, that's enough!" Squidward cut in, his face an odd dark bluish-purple, "You've said enough. I understand how you feel, and in fact... I share these feelings with you. I've loved you since the day you stepped foot into the Krusty Krab and saved me from the evil anchovies. I thought that you would go after Patrick, Sandy, or even Pearl, but I never even dreamed that you would come to me. I...I don't know what to say."

Slowly raising his head, tears welled in his eyes before getting stuck in his six long eyelashes. "Do...Do you really mean it?"

"No, I hate you."


	2. Chapter 2

Spongebob laughed in an effort to maintain a positive image, but the sarcastic comment hurt him more than his cephalopod lover could ever understand.

"I-I'm not sure I quite get what you mean." He stuttered, struggling to meet Squidward's eyes.

"Oh, I think that you do, very well. Spongebob, you and I have been through a lot together. We've delivered pizza, worked night shifts, and ruined all of Plankton's hopes and dreams-"

"Wait!" Spongebob cut him off, his voice straining. "Yes, you see me at work, but I am a different sponge outside of the Krusty Krab! Get a chance to know me, please..."

With a forlorn sigh, Squidward shook his head. "We have been neighbors for many, many years, and I have had plenty of time to learn of the careless brute hidden inside your squishy exterior. Countless times you have destroyed my home, endangered my life, and even once tried to bury me alive. The relationship we would have is just not something that would benefit my mental or physical health."

"Are...Are you sure that I can't change your mind?"

Spongebob questioned, his eyes become moister than the moist moistness provided by the sea water which was also very moist.

"Yes, I'm sure. Besides, do you really think that your salary could support two people?" The expression on Squidward's face could only be described as pity, though whether it was self pity or not was difficult to determine.

Fidgeting uncomfortably, Spongebob gave a curt nod. "I understand. If you ever want to give us a chance... Well... You know where to find me." He accidently let out a choked sob, hoping the other would believe it was a guffaw or giggle.

"...I guess I'll see you tomorrow than." Squidward shuffled his tentacles, looking back into his house."

"Yeah, I guess I will... At work..."

"You look tired, why don't you go back to bed? You can return the shirt later."

Spongebob's lips were quivering so much that he did not even attempt to make a response, in fear that he would burst into tears. Instead, he lifted his head to watch the door slowly be closed. On opposite sides of the door, both Squidward and Spongebob slid down to the ground in fetal position, muttering the same four words.

"I hate my life."

After what seemed like an eternity, Spongebob dragged himself up and began the trek back to his pineapple, even singing a catchy tune on his way.

"Not ready... Rejection... Not ready... Rejection..."

Once inside, he began to ask himself what went wrong.

"I practiced my lines, taking into account thousands of different possibilities. Any question he could ask, I had prepared an answer to. Everyone on my blog supported me, all seven of my followers are rooting for me. What will I tell them? What will I tell Grandma?! Can I still get a refund on the honeymoon suite, or will I get charged full price?!"

Finally he came to the moment of truth.

"I considered everything, except for him saying no..."

MEANWHILE...

"Hey baby, is everything okay? You were gone for a while, I was worried."

Squidward sent his bedmate a gentle smile, "Sorry I let the bed get cold, someone was at the door but I dealt with it."

"Great. Now, are you ready to be coated with my slime trail of affection?" Gary sent Squidward a smug look, receiving a laugh in return.

"Sure, but first, can you tell me that poem again? The one about the man from Peru?"

TO BE CONTINUED?!


End file.
